Levels and seasonal variations of organochlorine pesticides in urban and rural background air of southern Ghana.

ADU-KUMI, S., Radovan KAREŠ, Jaromír LITERÁK, Jana BORŮVKOVÁ, P.O. YEBOAH, D. CARBOO, O. AKOTO, G. DARKO, S. OSAE and Jana KLÁNOVÁ. Levels and seasonal variations of organochlorine pesticides in urban and rural background air of southern Ghana. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. HEIDELBERG, GERMANY: SPRINGER HEIDELBERG, 2012, vol. 19, No 6, p. 1963-1970. ISSN 0944-1344. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11356-012-1013-y.

Basic information

• Original name: Levels and seasonal variations of organochlorine pesticides in urban and rural background air of southern Ghana.
• Authors: ADU-KUMI, S. (288 Ghana, guarantor), Radovan KAREŠ (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution), Jaromír LITERÁK (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution), Jana BORŮVKOVÁ (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution), P.O. YEBOAH (288 Ghana), D. CARBOO (288 Ghana), O. AKOTO (288 Ghana), G. DARKO (288 Ghana), S. OSAE (288 Ghana) and Jana KLÁNOVÁ (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution).
• Edition: Environmental Science and Pollution Research, HEIDELBERG, GERMANY, SPRINGER HEIDELBERG, 2012, 0944-1344.

Other information

• Original language: English
• Type of outcome: Article in a journal
• Field of Study: 10511 Environmental sciences
• Country of publisher: Germany
• Confidentiality degree: is not subject to a state or trade secret
• Impact factor: Impact factor: 2.618
• RIV identification code: RIV/00216224:14310/12:00061025
• Organization unit: Faculty of Science
• Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11356-012-1013-y
• UT WoS: 000306123000011
• Keywords in English: Organochlorine pesticides; OCPs; Ambient air; Passive air sampling; Ghana; Africa; DDT; Endosulfan
• Tags: AKR, rivok

Abstract

Urban, suburban and rural background air samples were collected in southern Ghana in 2008 employing polyurethane foam disc passive air samplers (PAS). PAS were analysed for organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), namely hexachlorocyclohexanes (alpha-, beta-, gamma- and delta-hexachlorocyclohexane), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane including metabolites (o,p'- and p,p'-DDT, DDE and DDD), hexachlorobenzene, pentachlorobenzene, aldrin, dieldrin, endrins (endrin, endrin aldehyde and endrin ketone), isodrin, heptachlors (heptachlor, heptachlor epoxide A and heptachlor epoxide B), chlordanes (alpha-, beta-chlordane, oxychlordane and trans-nonachlor), endosulfans (alpha- and beta-endosulfan and endosulfan sulphate), methoxychlor and mirex using a gas chromatograph coupled to a mass spectrometer. The levels of OCPs ranged for the individual pesticides from below limit of quantification to 750 pg m(-3) (for alpha-endosulfan), and current agricultural application seemed to be the main primary source of most abundant pesticides. Re-volatilization of previously used pesticides from contaminated soils could not be ruled out either as potential secondary source of contamination, especially in warm and dry seasons and periods of intensive agricultural activities. Higher atmospheric concentrations were observed in November and December during the dry season compared to lower concentrations observed in June, July and August when the country experiences heavy rains. The highest seasonal variation was observed for currently used pesticides as alpha-endosulfan. A p,p'-DDT/p,p'-DDE ratio suggested recent inputs of fresh technical DDT.

Links

• ED0001/01/01, research and development project: Name: CETOCOEN